User interface and method to discover hearing sensitivity of user on smart phone

ABSTRACT

Employing outputted tones on a client device and/or headset is facilitated to identify hearing sensitivity of a user for both ears at various frequency bands and provide an indication of the users hearing sensitivity as compared to a normal hearing curve of a plurality of users on the same client device and/or headset or differing client devices and/or headsets.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser.No. 61/728,777 filed on Nov. 20, 2012, entitled “USER INTERFACE ANDMETHOD TO DISCOVER HEARING SENSITIVITY OF USER ON SMART PHONE.” Theentirety of this provisional application is incorporated herein byreference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure generally relates to systems and methods that facilitateemploying outputted tones on a client device and/or headset to identifyhearing sensitivity of a user for both ears at various frequency bandsand provide an indication of the users hearing sensitivity as comparedto a normal hearing curve of a plurality of users on the same clientdevice and/or headset or differing client devices and/or headsets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many individuals suffer a certain degree of unrecognized hearingsensitivity loss that generally does no become apparent until becomingsevere enough to disrupt their lives. Human hearing sensitivity degradesvery slowly over a long period of time. As such, it is not easilydetected by those suffering from hearing sensitivity loss. Mostindividuals are unaware of their hearing condition because equipmentand/or facility to measure hearing sensitivity is not generallyavailable to the public without visiting a costly hearing specialist.

Hearing sensitivity loss is not just a natural phenomenon suffered byaging people, many individuals suffer the condition due to long exposureto loud noises from the environment such as construction sites, machinerooms, combustion engines, etc. Furthermore, due to the advent ofportable audio devices such as portable music players and mobile phones,many young people also suffer from severe hearing loss due to prolongedexposure to loud music from setting the volume too loud while listeningthrough a headset.

Conventionally, specially designed equipment operated by trained hearingspecialists has been employed to measure hearing sensitivity. Due to theexpense, many individuals avoid having their hearing sensitivitymeasured until it is too late. In general, individuals who approach thespecialist for help have already developed severe hearing sensitivityloss which could have been prevented in an earlier stage.

Early detection of hearing sensitivity loss can allow for measures to betaken to prevent further deterioration.

SUMMARY

A simplified summary is provided herein to help enable a basic orgeneral understanding of various aspects of exemplary, non-limitingembodiments that follow in the more detailed description and theaccompanying drawings. This summary is not intended, however, as anextensive or exhaustive overview. Instead, the purpose of this summaryis to present some concepts related to some exemplary non-limitingembodiments in simplified form as a prelude to more detailed descriptionof the various embodiments that follow in the disclosure.

In accordance with a non-limiting implementation, a tone is outputtedcorresponding to a currently selected frequency band to a currentlyselected ear, one or more inputs are received indicating to at least oneof increase or decrease a signal level of the outputted tone, the signallevel of the outputted tone is adjusted according to the one or moreinputs, and a current signal level of the outputted tone for thecurrently selected frequency band and the currently selected ear isrecorded in a hearing sensitivity testing results record.

In accordance with a non-limiting implementation, a tone generationcomponent is configured to output a tone corresponding to a currentlyselected frequency band to a currently selected ear, a user interfacecomponent is configured to receive one or more inputs indicating to atleast one of increase or decrease a signal level of the outputted toneand instruct the tone generation component to adjust the signal level ofthe outputted tone according to the one or more inputs, and asensitivity results component is configured to record a current signallevel of the outputted tone for the currently selected frequency bandand the currently selected ear in a hearing sensitivity testing resultsrecord.

These and other implementations and embodiments are described in moredetail below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary non-limiting systemfor estimating hearing sensitivity in accordance with an implementationof this disclosure.

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary non-limiting hearingsensitivity component that estimates hearing sensitivity of one or moreusers in accordance with an implementation of this disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates a diagram of an exemplary non-limiting client deviceinterfacing with a headset via a wireless link in accordance with animplementation of this disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates a diagram of an exemplary non-limiting client deviceinterfacing with a headset via a wired link in accordance with animplementation of this disclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates a diagram of an exemplary non-limiting user interfaceon a client device for estimating hearing sensitivity in accordance withan implementation of this disclosure.

FIG. 6 illustrates a diagram of exemplary non-limiting hearingsensitivity testing results records in accordance with an implementationof this disclosure.

FIG. 7 illustrates a diagram of an exemplary non-limiting user interfaceincluding a tuning wizard selection element on a client device forestimating hearing sensitivity in accordance with an implementation ofthis disclosure.

FIG. 8A illustrates a diagram of an exemplary non-limiting userinterface for a tuning wizard while increasing signal level on a clientdevice for estimating hearing sensitivity in accordance with animplementation of this disclosure.

FIG. 8B illustrates a diagram of an exemplary non-limiting userinterface for a tuning wizard while decreasing signal level on a clientdevice for estimating hearing sensitivity in accordance with animplementation of this disclosure.

FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary non-limiting flow diagram for generatinghearing sensitivity results for a user in accordance with animplementation of this disclosure.

FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrates an exemplary non-limiting flow diagram forgenerating hearing sensitivity results for a user via tuning wizard inaccordance with an implementation of this disclosure.

FIG. 11 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary non-limitingnetworked environment in which various embodiments can be implemented.

FIG. 12 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary non-limitingcomputing system or operating environment in which various embodimentscan be implemented.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Overview

Various aspects or features of this disclosure are described withreference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used torefer to like elements throughout. In this specification, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of this disclosure. It should be understood, however, thatcertain aspects of this disclosure may be practiced without thesespecific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. Inother instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in blockdiagram form to facilitate describing this disclosure.

In situations in which systems and methods described here collectpersonal information about users, or may make use of personalinformation, the users can be provided with an opportunity to controlwhether programs or features collect user information (e.g., informationabout a user's social network, social actions or activities, profession,a user's preferences, or a user's current location), or to controlwhether or how to receive content from the content server that may bemore relevant to the user. In addition, certain data can be treated inone or more ways before it is stored or used, so that personallyidentifiable information is removed. For example, a user's identity canbe treated so that no personally identifiable information can bedetermined for the user, or a user's geographic location can begeneralized where location information is obtained (e.g., such as to acity, ZIP code, or state level), so that a particular location of a usercannot be determined. The user can add, delete, or modify informationabout the user. Thus, the user can control how information is collectedabout he or she and used by a server.

In accordance with various disclosed aspects, a mechanism is providedfor estimating hearing sensitivity of a user. For example, a user on amobile device can access a hearing sensitivity component included withina client device or install the hearing sensitivity component on theclient device, for example, through an application store. The hearingsensitivity component can be employed to test the user's hearing, forexample using a headset, at a variety of frequency bands.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 depicts a system 100 forestimating hearing sensitivity. System 100 includes client device 110configured to be accessed by users. Client device 110 includes hearingsensitivity component 120 that estimates hearing sensitivity of one ormore users. Client device 110 can interface with server 150 tofacilitate exchange of data. In addition, client device 110 caninterface with headset 140 to exchange inputs and outputs, for example,with a user. Additionally, client device 110 includes a data store 130that can store data generated or received by server 150, hearingsensitivity component 120, and headset 140 130. Data store 130 can bestored on any suitable type of storage device, non-limiting examples ofwhich are illustrated with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12.

It is to be understood that client device 110 can concurrently interactwith any suitable number of servers 150. In addition, server 150 caninteract with any suitable number of client devices 110 concurrently.Moreover, while hearing sensitivity component 120 is depicted as part ofclient device 110, hearing sensitivity component 120 can be part ofserver 150 or headset 140. Furthermore, client device 110, server 150,and headset 140 can respectively receive input from users to controlinteraction with and presentation of content and associated information,for example, using input devices, non-limiting examples of which can befound with reference to FIG. 12.

Client device 110 and server 150, respectively include at least onememory that stores computer executable components and at least oneprocessor that executes the computer executable components stored in thememory, a non-limiting example of which can be found with reference toFIG. 7. Furthermore, headset 140 can include at least one memory thatstores computer executable components and at least one processor thatexecutes the computer executable components stored in the memory. Clientdevice 110 can communicate via a wired and/or wireless network withserver 150. In addition, client device 110 can interface with headset140 via wired or wireless link. For example, FIG. 3 depicts clientdevice 110 interfacing with headset 140 via a wireless link. FIG. 4,depicts client device 110 interfacing with headset 140 via a wired link.

Client device 110 and server 150 can be any suitable type of device forrecording, interacting with, receiving, accessing, or supplying datalocally, or remotely over a wired or wireless communication link,non-limiting examples of include a wearable device or a non-wearabledevice. Wearable device can include, for example, heads-up displayglasses, a monocle, eyeglasses, contact lens, sunglasses, a headset, avisor, a cap, a helmet, a mask, a headband, clothing, camera, videocamera, or any other suitable device capable of recording content thatcan be worn by a human or non-human user. Non-wearable device caninclude, for example, a mobile device, a mobile phone, a camera, acamcorder, a video camera, personal data assistant, laptop computer,tablet computer, desktop computer, server system, cable set top box,satellite set top box, cable modem, television set, monitor, mediaextender device, blu-ray device, DVD (digital versatile disc or digitalvideo disc) device, compact disc device, video game system, portablevideo game console, audio/video receiver, radio device, portable musicplayer, navigation system, car stereo, motion sensor, infrared sensor,or any other suitable device capable of recording content. Moreover,client device 110 and server 150 can include a user interface (e.g., aweb browser or application), that can receive and present displays anddata generated locally or remotely.

FIG. 2 illustrates hearing sensitivity component 120 that estimateshearing sensitivity of one or more users. Hearing sensitivity component120 includes tone generation component 210 that generates sine tones.For example, during hearing sensitivity testing (e.g., tuning) varioussine tones can be generating corresponding to specific frequency bandsfor which hearing sensitivity is measured. It is to be appreciated thatfrequency bands depicted below are non-limiting examples of frequencybands for which hearing sensitivity can be tested, and any suitablefrequency bands can be employed. Furthermore, a hertz (Hz) valueidentified for a frequency band below is a non-limiting representationof the frequency band which can span any specified range of frequency.For example, a frequency band of 250 Hz can span frequencies from225-275 Hz, or 200-275 Hz, or any suitable range of frequencies. In anon-limiting example, the hertz identified for a frequency band can be acenter of the frequency band. However, any suitable frequency within thefrequency band can be employed to represent the frequency band.Furthermore, it is to be appreciated that frequency bands can be auniform size or vary in size, and any suitable size(s) can be employed.For example, frequency band 500 Hz can span frequencies from 460-550 Hzand frequency band 2500 Hz can span frequencies from 2250-2750 Hz.

Hearing sensitivity component 120 also includes user interface component220 that presents a user interface. While examples depicted below atouchscreen graphical user interface, it is to be appreciated that theuser interface can be audio, text, video, keyboard, mouse, microphone,eye-tracking, tactile, or any other suitable interface. For example, inan embodiment where client device 110 is a headset without a displayscreen, user interface can be audio and user input can be provided viavoice commands through a microphone.

FIG. 5 depicts a non-limiting exemplary user interface 505 in clientdevice 110. User interface 505 displays frequency bars 540A, 540B, 540C,540D, 540E, 540F, 540G, and 540H corresponding to frequency bands 250Hz, 500 Hz, 750 Hz, 1000 Hz, 1500 Hz, 2000 Hz, 2500 Hz, and 3500 Hz. Itis to be appreciated that while eight frequency bars corresponding toeight frequency bands are depicted in this example, any suitable numberof frequency bars corresponding to any suitable number of frequencybands can be employed. Furthermore, more frequency bars than can bedisplayed on the screen may be employed and user interface 505 canprovide a scrolling mechanism to display frequency bars not currentlyvisible on the display. User interface 505 also includes signal levelindicators 545A, 545B, 545C, 545D, 545E, 545F, 545G, and 545H forfrequency bars 540A, 540B, 540C, 540D, 540E, 540F, 540G, and 540H whichindicate the signal level that the user set the corresponding frequencyband during testing for the corresponding ear (e.g. left or right). Inthis non-limiting example, signal level is depicted in decibels (dB)from 0 to 90. However, and suitable range of decibels can be employed.Furthermore, signal level can be depicted using any suitable indicatorof signal level for the frequency band, such as in a non-limitingexample, absolute amplitude. User interface 505, in a non-limitingexample, depicts signal level on a vertical axis and frequency on ahorizontal axis. However, any suitable mechanism for depictingcorresponding signal levels to frequency bands can be employed.

User interface 505 also includes increase signal level selectableelement 510 that can be employed by the user to increase the signallevel for a currently selected frequency band. This example depictsfrequency band 250 Hz as currently selected as shown by the darkershading under signal level indicator 545A. Any suitable indication canbe employed for identify the currently selected frequency band, such asin a non-limiting example, color, size, shading, patterns, outlines,shapes, highlighting, flashing, font, etc. User interface 505 alsoincludes decrease signal level selectable element 515 that can beemployed by the user to decrease the signal level for a currentlyselected frequency band.

User interface 505 includes previous frequency band selection element525 that allows the user to move from a currently selected frequencyband to a previous frequency band in the ordered set of frequency bands(e.g. 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 750 Hz, 1000 Hz, 1500 Hz, 2000 Hz, 2500 Hz, and3500 Hz). For example, if the currently selected frequency band is 1000Hz, selection of previous frequency band selection element 525 wouldselect frequency band 750 Hz. User interface 505 includes next frequencyband selection element 530 that allows the user to move from a currentlyselected frequency band to a next frequency band in the order offrequency bands. Alternatively, the user can directly select thefrequency band by touching the frequency bar corresponding to thefrequency band.

User interface 505 includes start/stop tone selection element 550 thatallows a user to start and stop a tone corresponding to the currentlyselected frequency band. For example, if the currently selectedfrequency band is 250 Hz and there is no tone currently being generated,selection of start/stop tone selection element 550 causes tonegeneration component 210 to generate a tone corresponding to frequencyband 250 Hz which can be heard through headset 140. If there is alreadya tone being generated, then selection of start/stop tone selectionelement 550 causes tone generation component 210 to cease generation ofthe tone corresponding to frequency band 250 Hz.

User interface 505 also includes switch ear selection element 520 thatcauses a tone being generated for a corresponding frequency band to beoutput for the opposite ear from which it is currently being output, aswell as update the display to display information corresponding to thecurrently selected ear. For example, if the tone corresponding tofrequency band 250 Hz is currently being output for the right ear (e.g.right earpiece of the headset), selection of switch ear selectionelement 520 would cause the tone to be output for the left ear (e.g.left earpiece of the headset). It is to be appreciated that in anembodiment, the tone is only output for one ear during testing so theuser can focus on that ear. However, in an alternative embodiment, thetone can be output for both ears concurrently.

User interface component 505 includes a current selection informationbox 535 that displays information pertaining to the currently selectedear and frequency band. For example, current selection information box535 can indicate the currently selected ear, the currently selectedfrequency band, and/or the currently selected signal level for thecurrently selected frequency band. However, it is to be appreciated thatany suitable information can be displayed in current selectioninformation box 535 pertaining to the user's current selections orresults of hearing sensitivity testing. User interface 505 also includesnormal hearing curve element 555 that depicts the normal hearing curvefor a set of users across the displayed frequency bands.

Hearing sensitivity component 120 also includes sensitivity resultscomponent 230 that generates results of hearing sensitivity testing. Asa user conducts hearing sensitivity testing, the results of the testingcan be stored by sensitivity results component 230. It is to beappreciated that the results can be stored without identifyinginformation for the user or can be stored with identifying information,for example in a user profile. In examples herein, results will bedescribed with identifying information for the user. Hearing sensitivitytesting results can include identifying information for the user, andfor each ear and frequency band a resulting minimum signal level atwhich the user was able to hear the corresponding tone for the frequencyband. FIG. 6 depicts a non-limiting example of hearing sensitivitytesting results records 610, 620, and 630 for USERS 1 to N, where N isan integer representing the number of users for which hearingsensitivity testing results have been recorded, for M frequency bands,where M is an integer representing the number of frequency bands forwhich hearing sensitivity testing results have been recorded. Thehearing sensitivity testing results records 610, 620, and 630 includeuser name, frequency band left and right ear minimum signal level valueswhere the user was able to the hear the tone corresponding to thefrequency band. The minimum signal level values can be relative orabsolute in value. The minimum signal level values can directlyrepresent your hearing sensitivity or can be used to generate otherparameters or coefficients for filter design, for example, for a hearingaid or hearing assistance device.

In a non-limiting example, a user can employ the selection elements ofuser interface 505 to select a frequency band (e.g. using previousfrequency band selection element 525, next frequency band selectionelement 530, or touching the frequency bar), select an ear (e.g. usingswitch ear selection element 520), and start a corresponding tone (e.g.using start/stop tone selection element 550). The user can increase ordecrease (e.g. increase signal level selectable element 510 and decreasesignal level selectable element 515) the signal level until they canjust barely hear the tone, thus identifying the minimum signal level forwhich this is able to hear the tone corresponding to the frequency band.The user can stop the corresponding tone (e.g. using start/stop toneselection element 550). It is to be appreciated that in an embodimentthe start/stop tone selection element 550 is optional. The tone cancontinually be generates corresponding the current frequency bandselection. The user can perform this test for each ear and frequencyband. For example, the user may start at a low signal level and increasethe signal level until they can hear the tone, then decrease the signaluntil they cannot hear the tone, then increase it again until they canhear the tone, then repeat as desired. In this manner, the user willnarrow down the signal level for which they can barely hear the tone. Itis to be appreciated that tone generation component can change thegranularity at which the signal level changes with each selection of theincrease signal level selectable element 510 and decrease signal levelselectable element 515, for example, at each change in direction of thesignal level. For example, during the initial increasing of the signallevel, each selection of the increase signal level selectable element510, can result in an increase of the signal level by first amount, whenthe user selects the decrease signal level selectable element 515, thesignal level can decrease by a second amount that is less than the thirdamount. This can continue at each change in direction allowing the userto narrow in on the signal level at which they can barely hear the toneusing finer grained changes in signal level. It is also to beappreciated that the user can start at a higher signal level anddecrease the signal level until they don't hear the tone, and continueas described above until the narrow in on the signal level at which theycan barely hear the tone. Generally, the user should be able to identifythe signal level at which they can barely hear the tone in threeintervals increase-decrease-increase signal level, ordecrease-increase-decrease signal level, however, any suitable number ofintervals T can be employed.

Sensitivity results component 230 can keep track of the most recentsignal level that the user set for the corresponding ear and frequencyband in the hearing sensitivity testing results record for the user. Itis to be appreciated that sensitivity results component 230 can alsokeep track of client device 110 and/or headset 140 metadata in thehearing sensitivity testing results record. As such, a user may havemultiple hearing sensitivity testing results records respectivelycorresponding to client devices 110 and/or headsets 140. For example, auser may have respective hearing sensitivity testing results records fora mobile phone, game console, tablet, personal computer, laptop, wiredheadset, Bluetooth headset, etc.

Sensitivity results component 230 can generate a normal hearing curvefor client device 110 and/or headset 140 using hearing sensitivitytesting results records stored on client device 110. For example,sensitivity results component 230 can determine an average signal levelvalue for each frequency band and ear from the data recorded in thehearing sensitivity testing results records. Sensitivity testing resultscomponent 230 can uses the average signal level values to generate thenormal hearing curve. In alternative embodiments, sensitivity resultscomponent 230 can determine a median signal level value, a mode signallevel value, a geometric mean signal value, a harmonic mean signal levelvalue, or a quadratic mean signal level value for each frequency bandand ear from the data recorded in the hearing sensitivity testingresults records, and employ those values in generating the normalhearing curve.

Hearing sensitivity component 120 also includes sensitivity wizardcomponent 240 that automates many hearing sensitivity testing featuresdescribed above. FIG. 7 depicts a non-limiting exemplary user interface710, having many elements similar to user interface 505. User interface710 includes a tuning wizard selection element 720 that initiates anautomated hearing sensitivity testing by sensitivity wizard component240. Sensitivity wizard component 240 will test the user's hearingsensitivity for frequency bands 1 to M. For example, sensitivity wizardcomponent 240 can generate a tone for frequency band 1 at apredetermined low signal level and present a user interface 810 asdepicted in FIG. 8A. User interface 810 includes element 820 thatidentifies the current ear and frequency band. User interface 810 alsoincludes touch here when you can hear the tone selection element 830that informs the user to select the element when they can hear the tone.Sensitivity wizard component 240 will increase the signal level at apredetermined amount per time unit until the user selects touch herewhen you can hear the tone selection element 830. Upon selection oftouch here when you can hear the tone selection element 830, sensitivitywizard component 240 will stop increasing the signal level and displayuser interface 840 as depicted in FIG. 8B. User interface 840 includeselement 820 that identifies the current ear and frequency band, as wellas, touch here when you can no longer hear the tone selection element850 that informs the user to select the element when they can no longerhear the tone. Sensitivity wizard component 240 will decrease the signallevel by a predetermined amount per time unit until the user selectstouch here when you can no longer hear the tone selection element 850.Upon selection of touch here when you can no longer hear the toneselection element 850, sensitivity wizard component 240 will stopdecreasing the signal level, display user interface 810. Sensitivitywizard component 240 will alternate between user interface 810 withincreasing signal level and user interface 840 with decreasing signallevel a predetermined number of intervals T. It is to be appreciatedthat the predetermined number of intervals can be a user setting,administrator setting, or dynamically determined After the predeterminednumber of intervals, sensitivity results component 230 will record thesignal level at which the signal level stopped changing in the hearingsensitivity testing results record corresponding to the ear andfrequency band. Sensitivity wizard component 240 will then continue toconduct the above hearing sensitivity testing for each frequency bandfor each ear, and sensitivity results component 230 will record thesignal level at which the signal level stopped changing in the hearingsensitivity testing results record corresponding to the ear andfrequency band. As described above, sensitivity wizard component 240 canemploy changes in granularity of signal level change at each alternationbetween user interfaces 810 and 840. It is to be appreciated thatsensitivity wizard component 240 can begin tuning wizard with userinterface 840 and decreasing signal level from a predetermined highsignal level.

FIGS. 9-10B illustrate various methods in accordance with certaindisclosed aspects. While, for purposes of simplicity of explanation, themethodologies are shown and described as a series of acts, it is to beunderstood and appreciated that the disclosed aspects are not limited bythe order of acts, as some acts may occur in different orders and/orconcurrently with other acts from that shown and described herein. Forexample, those skilled in the art will understand and appreciate that amethodology can alternatively be represented as a series of interrelatedstates or events, such as in a state diagram. Moreover, not allillustrated acts may be required to implement a methodology inaccordance with certain disclosed aspects. Additionally, it is to befurther appreciated that the methodologies disclosed hereinafter andthroughout this disclosure are capable of being stored on an article ofmanufacture to facilitate transporting and transferring suchmethodologies to computers.

Referring to FIG. 9, an exemplary method 900 for generating hearingsensitivity results for a user is depicted. At reference numeral 910, anear selection input is received indicating a currently selected ear(e.g., by a user interface component 220, sensitivity results component230, hearing sensitivity component 120, or client device 110). Atreference numeral 920, a frequency band selection input is receivedindicating a currently selected frequency band (e.g., by a userinterface component 220, sensitivity results component 230, hearingsensitivity component 120, or client device 110). At reference numeral930, a tone corresponding to the currently selected frequency band isoutputted for the currently selected ear (e.g., by a tone generationcomponent 210, user interface component 220, hearing sensitivitycomponent 120, or client device 110). At reference numeral 940, one ormore signal level increase inputs or signal level decrease inputs arereceived and the signal level is adjusted to the one or more signallevel increase inputs or signal level decrease inputs (e.g., by a tonegeneration component 210, user interface component 220, hearingsensitivity component 120, or client device 110). At reference numeral950, a current signal level is recorded for the currently selectedfrequency band and currently selected ear in a hearing sensitivitytesting results record (e.g., by a user interface component 220,sensitivity results component 230, hearing sensitivity component 120, orclient device 110).

Referring to FIGS. 10A and 10B, an exemplary method 1000 for generatinghearing sensitivity results for a user using a tuning wizard isdepicted. At reference numeral 1005, variables i, j, and k, are set to avalue of, where i is employed as a counter to track the frequency bandstested up to the number of frequency bands M, j is used as a counter totrack the intervals of increasing signal level and decreasing signallevel up to the predetermined number of intervals T (e.g. T=3 wouldcorrespond to an three intervals—increasing, decreasing, andincreasing), and k is employed to track the number of ears up to twoears, left and right. It is to be appreciated that for k, left ear (k=1)can be tested before right ear (k=2), or right ear (k=1) can be testedbefore left ear (k=2) (e.g., by a sensitivity wizard component 240, userinterface component 220, hearing sensitivity component 120, or clientdevice 110). At reference numeral 1010, a tone is outputted forfrequency band i for ear k. (e.g., by a sensitivity wizard component240, user interface component 220, tone generation component 210,hearing sensitivity component 120, or client device 110). At referencenumeral 1015, a determination is made whether a touch here when you canhear the tone input is received (e.g., by a sensitivity wizard component240, user interface component 220, hearing sensitivity component 120, orclient device 110). If the determination at 1015 is “NO” meaning that adetermination has been made that the touch here when you can hear thetone input has not been received, the method proceeds to element 1025.If the determination at 1015 is “YES” meaning that a determination hasbeen made that the touch here when you can hear the tone input has beenreceived, the method proceeds to element 1020. At reference number 1025,the signal level of the tone is increased by a predetermined amount. Atreference number 1020, j is incremented by one. At reference numeral1030, a determination is made whether j is greater than T (e.g., by asensitivity wizard component 240, user interface component 220, hearingsensitivity component 120, or client device 110). If the determinationat 1030 is “NO” meaning that a determination has been made that j is notgreater than T, the method proceeds to element 1035. If thedetermination at 1030 is “YES” meaning that a determination has beenmade that j is greater than T, the method proceeds to element 1055. Atreference number 1035, the signal level of the tone is decreased by apredetermined amount. At reference numeral 1040, a determination is madewhether a touch here when you can no longer hear the tone input isreceived (e.g., by a sensitivity wizard component 240, user interfacecomponent 220, hearing sensitivity component 120, or client device 110).If the determination at 1040 is “NO” meaning that a determination hasbeen made that the touch here when you can no longer hear the tone inputhas not been received, the method proceeds to element 1035. If thedetermination at 1040 is “YES” meaning that a determination has beenmade that the touch here when you can no longer hear the tone input hasbeen received, the method proceeds to element 1045. At reference number1045, j is incremented by one. At reference numeral 1050, adetermination is made whether j is greater than T (e.g., by asensitivity wizard component 240, user interface component 220, hearingsensitivity component 120, or client device 110). If the determinationat 1050 is “NO” meaning that a determination has been made that j is notgreater than T, the method proceeds to element 1025. If thedetermination at 1050 is “YES” meaning that a determination has beenmade that j is greater than T, the method proceeds to element 1055. Atreference numeral 1055, the current signal level for frequency band ifor ear k is recorded in a hearing sensitivity testing results recordfor the current user being tested (e.g., by a sensitivity wizardcomponent 240, user interface component 220, sensitivity resultscomponent 230, hearing sensitivity component 120, or client device 110).At reference number 1060, i is incremented by one and j is set to avalue of one. (e.g., by a sensitivity wizard component 240, userinterface component 220, hearing sensitivity component 120, or clientdevice 110). At reference numeral 1065, a determination is made whetheri is greater than M (e.g., by a sensitivity wizard component 240, userinterface component 220, hearing sensitivity component 120, or clientdevice 110). If the determination at 1065 is “NO” meaning that adetermination has been made that i is not greater than M, the methodproceeds to element 1010. If the determination at 1050 is “YES” meaningthat a determination has been made that i is greater than M, the methodproceeds to element 1070. At reference number 1070, k is incremented byone, and i and j are set to a value of one. (e.g., by a sensitivitywizard component 240, user interface component 220, hearing sensitivitycomponent 120, or client device 110). At reference numeral 1075, adetermination is made whether k is greater than 2 (e.g., by asensitivity wizard component 240, user interface component 220, hearingsensitivity component 120, or client device 110). If the determinationat 1075 is “NO” meaning that a determination has been made that k is notgreater than 2, the method proceeds to element 1010. If thedetermination at 1075 is “YES” meaning that a determination has beenmade that k is greater than 2, the method ends.

Exemplary Networked and Distributed Environments

One of ordinary skill in the art can appreciate that the variousembodiments described herein can be implemented in connection with anycomputer or other client or server device, which can be deployed as partof a computer network or in a distributed computing environment, and canbe connected to any kind of data store where media may be found. In thisregard, the various embodiments described herein can be implemented inany computer system or environment having any number of memory orstorage units, and any number of applications and processes occurringacross any number of storage units. This includes, but is not limitedto, an environment with server computers and client computers deployedin a network environment or a distributed computing environment, havingremote or local storage.

Distributed computing provides sharing of computer resources andservices by communicative exchange among computing devices and systems.These resources and services include the exchange of information, cachestorage and disk storage for objects, such as files. These resources andservices can also include the sharing of processing power acrossmultiple processing units for load balancing, expansion of resources,specialization of processing, and the like. Distributed computing takesadvantage of network connectivity, allowing clients to leverage theircollective power to benefit the entire enterprise. In this regard, avariety of devices may have applications, objects or resources that mayparticipate in the various embodiments of this disclosure.

FIG. 11 provides a schematic diagram of an exemplary networked ordistributed computing environment. The distributed computing environmentcomprises computing objects 1110, 1112, etc. and computing objects ordevices 1120, 1122, 1124, 1126, 1128, etc., which may include programs,methods, data stores, programmable logic, etc., as represented byapplications 1130, 1132, 1134, 1136, 1138. It can be appreciated thatcomputing objects 1110, 1112, etc. and computing objects or devices1120, 1122, 1124, 1126, 1128, etc. may comprise different devices, suchas personal digital assistants (PDAs), audio/video devices, mobilephones, MP3 players, personal computers, laptops, tablets, etc.

Each computing object 1110, 1112, etc. and computing objects or devices1120, 1122, 1124, 1126, 1128, etc. can communicate with one or moreother computing objects 1110, 1112, etc. and computing objects ordevices 1120, 1122, 1124, 1126, 1128, etc. by way of the communicationsnetwork 1140, either directly or indirectly. Even though illustrated asa single element in FIG. 11, network 1140 may comprise other computingobjects and computing devices that provide services to the system ofFIG. 11, and/or may represent multiple interconnected networks, whichare not shown. Each computing object 1110, 1112, etc. or computingobjects or devices 1120, 1122, 1124, 1126, 1128, etc. can also containan application, such as applications 1130, 1132, 1134, 1136, 1138, thatmight make use of an API, or other object, software, firmware and/orhardware, suitable for communication with or implementation of variousembodiments of this disclosure.

There are a variety of systems, components, and network configurationsthat support distributed computing environments. For example, computingsystems can be connected together by wired or wireless systems, by localnetworks or widely distributed networks. Currently, many networks arecoupled to the Internet, which provides an infrastructure for widelydistributed computing and encompasses many different networks, thoughany suitable network infrastructure can be used for exemplarycommunications made incident to the systems as described in variousembodiments herein.

Thus, a host of network topologies and network infrastructures, such asclient/server, peer-to-peer, or hybrid architectures, can be utilized.The “client” is a member of a class or group that uses the services ofanother class or group. A client can be a computer process, e.g.,roughly a set of instructions or tasks, that requests a service providedby another program or process. A client process may utilize therequested service without having to “know” all working details about theother program or the service itself.

In a client/server architecture, particularly a networked system, aclient can be a computer that accesses shared network resources providedby another computer, e.g., a server. In the illustration of FIG. 11, asa non-limiting example, computing objects or devices 1120, 1122, 1124,1126, 1128, etc. can be thought of as clients and computing objects1110, 1112, etc. can be thought of as servers where computing objects1110, 1112, etc. provide data services, such as receiving data fromclient computing objects or devices 1120, 1122, 1124, 1126, 1128, etc.,storing of data, processing of data, transmitting data to clientcomputing objects or devices 1120, 1122, 1124, 1126, 1128, etc.,although any computer can be considered a client, a server, or both,depending on the circumstances. Any of these computing devices may beprocessing data, or requesting transaction services or tasks that mayimplicate the techniques for systems as described herein for one or moreembodiments.

A server is typically a remote computer system accessible over a remoteor local network, such as the Internet or wireless networkinfrastructures. The client process may be active in a first computersystem, and the server process may be active in a second computersystem, communicating with one another over a communications medium,thus providing distributed functionality and allowing multiple clientsto take advantage of the information-gathering capabilities of theserver. Any software objects utilized pursuant to the techniquesdescribed herein can be provided standalone, or distributed acrossmultiple computing devices or objects.

In a network environment in which the communications network/bus 1140 isthe Internet, for example, the computing objects 1110, 1112, etc. can beWeb servers, file servers, media servers, etc. with which the clientcomputing objects or devices 1120, 1122, 1124, 1126, 1128, etc.communicate via any of a number of known protocols, such as thehypertext transfer protocol (HTTP). Objects 1110, 1112, etc. may alsoserve as client computing objects or devices 1120, 1122, 1124, 1126,1128, etc., as may be characteristic of a distributed computingenvironment.

Exemplary Computing Device

As mentioned, advantageously, the techniques described herein can beapplied to any suitable device. It is to be understood, therefore, thathandheld, portable and other computing devices and computing objects ofall kinds are contemplated for use in connection with the variousembodiments. Accordingly, the computer described below in FIG. 12 is butone example of a computing device that can be employed with implementingone or more of the systems or methods shown and described in connectionwith FIGS. 1-10A. Additionally, a suitable server can include one ormore aspects of the below computer, such as a media server or othermedia management server components.

Although not required, embodiments can partly be implemented via anoperating system, for use by a developer of services for a device orobject, and/or included within application software that operates toperform one or more functional aspects of the various embodimentsdescribed herein. Software may be described in the general context ofcomputer executable instructions, such as program modules, beingexecuted by one or more computers, such as client workstations, serversor other devices. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that computersystems have a variety of configurations and protocols that can be usedto communicate data, and thus, no particular configuration or protocolis to be considered limiting.

FIG. 12 thus illustrates an example of a suitable computing systemenvironment 1200 in which one or aspects of the embodiments describedherein can be implemented, although as made clear above, the computingsystem environment 1200 is only one example of a suitable computingenvironment and is not intended to suggest any limitation as to scope ofuse or functionality. Neither is the computing environment 1200 beinterpreted as having any dependency or requirement relating to any oneor combination of components illustrated in the exemplary operatingenvironment 1200.

With reference to FIG. 12, an exemplary computing device forimplementing one or more embodiments in the form of a computer 1210 isdepicted. Components of computer 1210 may include, but are not limitedto, a processing unit 1220, a system memory 1230, and a system bus 1222that couples various system components including the system memory tothe processing unit 1220.

Computer 1210 typically includes a variety of computer readable mediaand can be any available media that can be accessed by computer 1210.The system memory 1230 may include computer storage media in the form ofvolatile and/or nonvolatile memory such as read only memory (ROM) and/orrandom access memory (RAM). By way of example, and not limitation,system memory 1230 may also include an operating system, applicationprograms, other program modules, and program data.

A user can enter commands and information into the computer 1210 throughinput devices 1240, non-limiting examples of which can include akeyboard, keypad, a pointing device, a mouse, stylus, touchpad,touchscreen, trackball, motion detector, camera, microphone, joystick,game pad, scanner, or any other device that allows the user to interactwith computer 1210. A monitor or other type of display device is alsoconnected to the system bus 1222 via an interface, such as outputinterface 1250. In addition to a monitor, computers can also includeother peripheral output devices such as speakers and a printer, whichmay be connected through output interface 1250.

The computer 1210 may operate in a networked or distributed environmentusing logical connections to one or more other remote computers, such asremote computer 1270. The remote computer 1270 may be a personalcomputer, a server, a router, a network PC, a peer device or othercommon network node, or any other remote media consumption ortransmission device, and may include any or all of the elementsdescribed above relative to the computer 1210. The logical connectionsdepicted in FIG. 12 include a network 1272, such local area network(LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), but may also include othernetworks/buses e.g., cellular networks.

As mentioned above, while exemplary embodiments have been described inconnection with various computing devices and network architectures, theunderlying concepts may be applied to any network system and anycomputing device or system in which it is desirable to publish orconsume media in a flexible way.

Also, there are multiple ways to implement the same or similarfunctionality, e.g., an appropriate API, tool kit, driver code,operating system, control, standalone or downloadable software object,etc. which enables applications and services to take advantage of thetechniques described herein. Thus, embodiments herein are contemplatedfrom the standpoint of an API (or other software object), as well asfrom a software or hardware object that implements one or more aspectsdescribed herein. Thus, various embodiments described herein can haveaspects that are wholly in hardware, partly in hardware and partly insoftware, as well as in software.

The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean serving as an example,instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the aspectsdisclosed herein are not limited by such examples. In addition, anyaspect or design described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily tobe construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs,nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures andtechniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, tothe extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “contains,” and othersimilar words are used in either the detailed description or the claims,for the avoidance of doubt, such terms are intended to be inclusive in amanner similar to the term “comprising” as an open transition wordwithout precluding any additional or other elements.

Computing devices typically include a variety of media, which caninclude computer-readable storage media and/or communications media, inwhich these two terms are used herein differently from one another asfollows. Computer-readable storage media can be any available storagemedia that can be accessed by the computer, is typically of anon-transitory nature, and can include both volatile and nonvolatilemedia, removable and non-removable media. By way of example, and notlimitation, computer-readable storage media can be implemented inconnection with any method or technology for storage of information suchas computer-readable instructions, program modules, structured data, orunstructured data. Computer-readable storage media can include, but arenot limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memorytechnology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disk (DVD) or other optical diskstorage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage orother magnetic storage devices, or other tangible and/or non-transitorymedia which can be used to store desired information. Computer-readablestorage media can be accessed by one or more local or remote computingdevices, e.g., via access requests, queries or other data retrievalprotocols, for a variety of operations with respect to the informationstored by the medium.

On the other hand, communications media typically embodycomputer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules orother structured or unstructured data in a data signal such as amodulated data signal, e.g., a carrier wave or other transportmechanism, and includes any information delivery or transport media. Theterm “modulated data signal” or signals refers to a signal that has oneor more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as toencode information in one or more signals. By way of example, and notlimitation, communication media include wired media, such as a wirednetwork or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic,RF, infrared and other wireless media.

As mentioned, the various techniques described herein may be implementedin connection with hardware or software or, where appropriate, with acombination of both. As used herein, the terms “component,” “system” andthe like are likewise intended to refer to a computer-related entity,either hardware, a combination of hardware and software, software, orsoftware in execution. For example, a component may be, but is notlimited to being, a process running on a processor, a processor, anobject, an executable, a thread of execution, a program, and/or acomputer. By way of illustration, both an application running oncomputer and the computer can be a component. One or more components mayreside within a process and/or thread of execution and a component maybe localized on one computer and/or distributed between two or morecomputers. Further, a “device” can come in the form of speciallydesigned hardware; generalized hardware made specialized by theexecution of software thereon that enables the hardware to performspecific function (e.g., coding and/or decoding); software stored on acomputer readable medium; or a combination thereof.

The aforementioned systems have been described with respect tointeraction between several components. It can be appreciated that suchsystems and components can include those components or specifiedsub-components, some of the specified components or sub-components,and/or additional components, and according to various permutations andcombinations of the foregoing. Sub-components can also be implemented ascomponents communicatively coupled to other components rather thanincluded within parent components (hierarchical). Additionally, it is tobe noted that one or more components may be combined into a singlecomponent providing aggregate functionality or divided into severalseparate sub-components, and that any one or more middle layers, such asa management layer, may be provided to communicatively couple to suchsub-components in order to provide integrated functionality. Anycomponents described herein may also interact with one or more othercomponents not specifically described herein but generally known bythose of skill in the art.

In order to provide for or aid in the numerous inferences describedherein (e.g. inferring relationships between metadata or inferringtopics of interest to users), components described herein can examinethe entirety or a subset of the data to which it is granted access andcan provide for reasoning about or infer states of the system,environment, etc. from a set of observations as captured via eventsand/or data. Inference can be employed to identify a specific context oraction, or can generate a probability distribution over states, forexample. The inference can be probabilistic—that is, the computation ofa probability distribution over states of interest based on aconsideration of data and events. Inference can also refer to techniquesemployed for composing higher-level events from a set of events and/ordata.

Such inference can result in the construction of new events or actionsfrom a set of observed events and/or stored event data, whether or notthe events are correlated in close temporal proximity, and whether theevents and data come from one or several event and data sources. Variousclassification (explicitly and/or implicitly trained) schemes and/orsystems (e.g., support vector machines, neural networks, expert systems,Bayesian belief networks, fuzzy logic, data fusion engines, etc.) can beemployed in connection with performing automatic and/or inferred actionin connection with the claimed subject matter.

A classifier can map an input attribute vector, x=(x1, x2, x3, x4, xn),to a confidence that the input belongs to a class, as byf(x)=confidence(class). Such classification can employ a probabilisticand/or statistical-based analysis (e.g., factoring into the analysisutilities and costs) to prognose or infer an action that a user desiresto be automatically performed. A support vector machine (SVM) is anexample of a classifier that can be employed. The SVM operates byfinding a hyper-surface in the space of possible inputs, where thehyper-surface attempts to split the triggering criteria from thenon-triggering events. Intuitively, this makes the classificationcorrect for testing data that is near, but not identical to trainingdata. Other directed and undirected model classification approachesinclude, e.g., naïve Bayes, Bayesian networks, decision trees, neuralnetworks, fuzzy logic models, and probabilistic classification modelsproviding different patterns of independence can be employed.Classification as used herein also is inclusive of statisticalregression that is utilized to develop models of priority.

In view of the exemplary systems described above, methodologies that maybe implemented in accordance with the described subject matter will bebetter appreciated with reference to the flowcharts of the variousfigures. While for purposes of simplicity of explanation, themethodologies are shown and described as a series of blocks, it is to beunderstood and appreciated that the claimed subject matter is notlimited by the order of the blocks, as some blocks may occur indifferent orders and/or concurrently with other blocks from what isdepicted and described herein. Where non-sequential, or branched, flowis illustrated via flowchart, it can be appreciated that various otherbranches, flow paths, and orders of the blocks, may be implemented whichachieve the same or a similar result. Moreover, not all illustratedblocks may be required to implement the methodologies describedhereinafter.

In addition to the various embodiments described herein, it is to beunderstood that other similar embodiments can be used or modificationsand additions can be made to the described embodiment(s) for performingthe same or equivalent function of the corresponding embodiment(s)without deviating there from. Still further, multiple processing chipsor multiple devices can share the performance of one or more functionsdescribed herein, and similarly, storage can be effected across aplurality of devices. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited toany single embodiment, but rather can be construed in breadth, spiritand scope in accordance with the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method, comprising: outputting, by a deviceincluding a processor, a tone corresponding to a currently selectedfrequency band to a currently selected ear; receiving, by the device,one or more inputs indicating to at least one of increase or decrease asignal level of the outputted tone; adjusting, by the device, the signallevel of the outputted tone according to the one or more inputs; andrecording, by the device, a current signal level of the outputted tonefor the currently selected frequency band and the currently selected earin a hearing sensitivity testing results record.
 2. The method of claim1, further comprising receiving, by the device, a frequency bandselection input indicating selection of the currently selected frequencyband.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by thedevice, an ear selection input indicating selection of the currentlyselected ear.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more inputscomprise at least one increase signal level input indicating increase ofthe signal level followed by at least one decrease signal level inputindicating decrease of the signal level followed by at least oneadditional increase signal level input indicating increase of the signallevel.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, by thedevice, another frequency band selection input indicating selection ofthe another frequency band; outputting, by the device, another tonecorresponding to the other frequency band to the currently selected ear;receiving, by the device, one or more other inputs indicating to atleast one of increase or decrease a signal level of the outputted othertone; and recording, by the device, another current signal level of theoutputted other tone for the other selected frequency band and thecurrently selected ear in the hearing sensitivity testing resultsrecord.
 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, by thedevice, another ear selection input indicating selection of another ear;outputting, by the device, the tone corresponding to currently selectedfrequency band to the other ear; receiving, by the device, one or moreother inputs indicating to at least one of increase or decrease a signallevel of the outputted tone; and recording, by the device, anothercurrent signal level of the outputted tone for the currently selectedfrequency band and the other ear in the hearing sensitivity testingresults record.
 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: adding, bythe device, metadata to the hearing sensitivity testing results recordcomprising at least one of an attribute of a user associated with thehearing sensitivity testing results record, an attribute of a clientdevice associated with the hearing sensitivity testing results record,or an attribute of a headset associated with the hearing sensitivitytesting results record.
 8. A non-transitory computer-readable mediumhaving instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution, causea system including a processor to perform operations comprising:outputting a tone corresponding to a currently selected frequency bandto a currently selected ear; receiving one or more inputs indicating toat least one of increase or decrease a signal level of the outputtedtone; adjusting the signal level of the outputted tone according to theone or more inputs; and recording a current signal level of theoutputted tone for the currently selected frequency band and thecurrently selected ear in a hearing sensitivity testing results record.9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, theoperations further comprising receiving a frequency band selection inputindicating selection of the currently selected frequency band.
 10. Thenon-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, the operationsfurther comprising receiving an ear selection input indicating selectionof the currently selected ear.
 11. The non-transitory computer-readablemedium of claim 8, wherein the one or more inputs comprise at least oneincrease signal level input indicating increase of the signal levelfollowed by at least one decrease signal level input indicating decreaseof the signal level followed by at least one additional increase signallevel input indicating increase of the signal level.
 12. Thenon-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, the operationsfurther comprising: receiving another frequency band selection inputindicating selection of the another frequency band; outputting anothertone corresponding to the other frequency band to the currently selectedear; receiving one or more other inputs indicating to at least one ofincrease or decrease a signal level of the outputted other tone; andrecording another current signal level of the outputted other tone forthe other selected frequency band and the currently selected ear in thehearing sensitivity testing results record.
 13. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 8, the operations further comprising:receiving another ear selection input indicating selection of anotherear; outputting the tone corresponding to currently selected frequencyband to the other ear; receiving one or more other inputs indicating toat least one of increase or decrease a signal level of the outputtedtone; and recording another current signal level of the outputted tonefor the currently selected frequency band and the other ear in thehearing sensitivity testing results record.
 14. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 8, the operations further comprising:adding metadata to the hearing sensitivity testing results recordcomprising at least one of attributes of a user associated with thehearing sensitivity testing results record, attributes of a clientdevice associated with the hearing sensitivity testing results record,or attributes of a headset associated with the hearing sensitivitytesting results record.
 15. A system, comprising: a processor; and amemory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory havingstored therein computer-executable instructions, comprising: a tonegeneration component configured to output a tone corresponding to acurrently selected frequency band to a currently selected ear; a userinterface component configured to receive one or more inputs indicatingto at least one of increase or decrease a signal level of the outputtedtone and instruct the tone generation component to adjust the signallevel of the outputted tone according to the one or more inputs; and asensitivity results component configured to record a current signallevel of the outputted tone for the currently selected frequency bandand the currently selected ear in a hearing sensitivity testing resultsrecord.
 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the user interface componentis further configured to receive a frequency band selection inputindicating selection of the currently selected frequency band.
 17. Thesystem of claim 15, wherein the user interface component is furtherconfigured to receive an ear selection input indicating selection of thecurrently selected ear.
 18. The system of claim 15, wherein the one ormore inputs comprise at least one increase signal level input indicatingincrease of the signal level followed by at least one decrease signallevel input indicating decrease of the signal level followed by at leastone additional increase signal level input indicating increase of thesignal level.
 19. The system of claim 15, wherein: the user interfacecomponent is further configured to receive another frequency bandselection input indicating selection of the another frequency band; thetone generation component is further configured to output another tonecorresponding to the other frequency band to the currently selected ear;the user interface component is further configured to receive one ormore other inputs indicating to at least one of increase or decrease asignal level of the outputted other tone; and the sensitivity resultscomponent is further configured to record another current signal levelof the outputted other tone for the other selected frequency band andthe currently selected ear in the hearing sensitivity testing resultsrecord.
 20. The system of claim 15, wherein: the user interfacecomponent is further configured to receive another ear selection inputindicating selection of another ear; outputting the tone correspondingto currently selected frequency band to the other ear; the userinterface component is further configured to receive one or more otherinputs indicating to at least one of increase or decrease a signal levelof the outputted tone; and the sensitivity results component is furtherconfigured to record another current signal level of the outputted tonefor the currently selected frequency band and the other ear in thehearing sensitivity testing results record.